Vehicle fender



VEHICLEv FENDER Filed May 6. -1924 2 sneens-snw 1 gfx/vento@ NGV, ll, 1924.

A. J. FINNEGAN VEHICLE FENDER 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May gmenloz /gJ-irznref arl v '/l VIII/1111711111. r11.

Patented Nov. 11 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

`AMIBItQSIil'il'. INNEGAN, 0F CASTALIA, IOWA.

VEHICLE FENDER.

Application led May l6,

To all whom t may comer/n.:

Be it knownthat I, AMBRosE J. FINNE- GAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Castalia, in the county of Winneshiek and e State of Iowa, have invented certain 'new g closed a construction of a fender having a main fender section upon which are mounted resiliently supported fingers combining to form -a cage receiving a person struck by the fender and preventing their coming into contact with the body of the vehicle. In each of these constructions means are provided whereb certain of the resilient fingers can be shifte to permit the operator of the vehicle to have access to the crank thereof if necessary. I 1

An im ortant object of this invention is 'to provi e an improved mounting for the sections and to further im rove the construction of the resilient and the mountings thereof. A. still further object of the invention is to provide means for applying to these fmgers a cushioning element to prevent the fingers from injuring a person coming into engagement therewith. Y

These and other objects I attain by the construction shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein for thel purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein Figure 1 is a plan view showing a fender constructed in accordance with my invention applied to a vehicle Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view there'- through; y i Y Figure 3 is applan view of a slightly4 modi-A fied form offender; 4

Figure 4 isa vertical sectional view therethrough;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken through 1924. Serial No. 711,448.

the mounting bar for the central cage forminelements 1 re 6 is a perspective of the pivot mem er; Figure member;

Figure 8 isa perspective view of the clam s employed for attaching the cushioning e ementstothe spring fin ers.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the n-umeral 10 indicates a rigid fender barextending transversely of the vehicle in advance thereof and sup orted from the vehicle-frame 11 by rearwar ly extending bracing and supporting bars 12 7 is a perspective of the hasp vwhich are Vsecured to the vehicle frame by vclamping U-bolts 13. The forward ends of the supporting bars are provided with diverging arms 14 the ends of which engage the bar 10 at points spaced longitudinally thereof.

In the form' shown in Figure 3 a plurality of spring lingers 15 are secured to the bar,

each of these lingers comprising'anA attaching portion 16 adapted to be secured to the bar and a resilient ortion extending upwardly and rearwardy from this attaching portion in forming the finger proper.. Certain of the fm ers 15 have their attaching portions secure to the bar 10 by the securing elements employed for securing the divergent arms 14 of the .brace members 12 to the bar. In this form of construction the fingers 15 are separate elements and perform their cushioning functions independently.

In the form shown in Figure 1 rigidarms 17 arranged in pairs are carried by the bar, one pair in each instance, being arranged outwardly of the brace 12 at Vthis side of the bar 10 and a third pair being arranged intermediate these bars. Of those pairs arranged outwardly of the supporting bars 12 the innermost pair 17 is in each instance secured to the bar 10 by the securing elements of the arms14: of the bars 12. These rigid arms 17 extend upwardly and rearwardly from thebar 10 and have secured thereto cushioning erbuer springs 18 each having reverted end ortions 19 secured to the bars ofthe pair with which it is associated, these portions being spaced from the main body of the cushioning springs so that these springsare held 1n spaced relation to the bars and :fbrwardly ofthe bars. 'Iwo springs are preferably applied to each pair of rigid arms 17.

Arranged intermediate the supports 12 upon thefrear-face ofthe transverse bar are apivot 2Oand -a hasp 21, each of these elements being secured to the bar 10 by the securing elements of the adjacent arm of the rigid supports 12. The pivot member 2O is provided with a reduced upwardly directed portion 22 having upon its upper end a limiting element 23. The hasp 21 has a similar upwardly directed portion 24 having in that face thereof next adjacent the pivot a notch 25 and provided forwardly of this notch with a stop shoulder l26.

The numeral 27 designates a bar having at one end a pivot loop 28 of less length than the pivotportion 22 of the pivot 20 and having secured to its 'opposite end a sleeve 29 having at its free end a pair of alignedopenings 30 for the reception of the rearwardlydirected portion 24 of the hasp.

lMounted within the sleeve is a bolt 31 one end of which operates in an opening in the end of the bar 27 and the opposite'end of which is designed for coaction with the notch 25'of the hasp plate. A spring 33 extends intermediate the end ,of the bar 27 and a shoulder 32 formed on the bolt and normally urges this bolt outwardly toward the free end of 'the sleeve 29. 'The sleeve 29'is provided in its side wall with a slot 34 through which extends an operating linger 35 by means of which the bolt may be retracted against the action of the s ring. o In -the first form described a plurality of the resilient fingers 15 are secured to this rear face thereof anges 3 g provided which extend about the cushion-v bar and are held in position thereby, while inthe second form a pair of these fingers are secured to this bar 27. It will be seen that by releasing the bolt from the notch 25, the bar 27 may be moved bodily upwardly until the sleeve clears the upper end of the portion 24 of the hasp 21 when the bar may be swung upwardly and to one side about the pivot 22 to permitaccess to the starting crank. t

InJ each construction the cushioning spring portionshave applied to their faces a cushioning element such as rubber or the like. These cushionin elements preferably comprise sheets of ru ber, indicated at 36, and having extending lon 'tudinally of the Clamps 38 are ing elements whether these be the springs 18 or the fingers 15 and yfit these elements, the ends of these clamps being provided withupstanding flan es 39 receiving therebetween the anges-3 of the rubber sheet. Securingv elements extend through the flanges 39 so that they may be clamped together to secure the clamp in position v upon the cushioning element 15 or 18, as

` the oyposite end of the hinge bar being enront face of the rigid bar 1() has preferably mounted thereon a .pneumatic cushionin element 40 for taking up minory shocks an for reducing heavier shocks which would otherwise be applied to the vehicle. It will be seen that a fender constructed in accordance with the foregoing will provide the usual protection afforded by a bumper bar and at the same time will reduce the harshness of shocks applied to the vehicle through this bumper bar and reduce injuries to persons or vehicles with' which it may come in contact.

I claim 41. In combination with a vehicle fender comprising a rigid bar adapted to extend transversely of the vehicle, a cage supported from the bar and extending upwardly and rearwardly therefrom to receive a personA engaged by the fender in passing thereover, the cage including independently shiftable resilient elements, cushioning pads arranged upon the front -face of said cushioning elements and each embodying a flange, and clamp elements straddling the cushionin elements and engaging the lian'ges of sai page.

In combination with a vehicle fender i comprisinga rigid bar extending trans'- suplported from loo having a portion rotatable upon the pintle and of less width than the length of the pintle, the opposite end of the hinge bar being engageable with the h I 3. In combination with a ve icle -fender 'comprising a ri id bar extending transverselyT of the ve icle, a cage supported fromA the bar and extending upwardly and rearwardly therefrom,` said'cage having a central section shiftable to permit access to l the vehicle through the cage, a mounting for said section comprising a pintle and hasp secured in spaced .relation to said bar, said pintle being elongated, ahinge bar having a portion rotatable upon the pintle and of less width than the length of the pintle,

lgagea le with,v the hasp, and a springressed bolt arranged interiorly o f the hinge bar and adapted or coaction .with a notch formed in the hasp.

4. A .vehicle fender comprising a rigid .J bar adapted to be disposed transversely of a vehicle, means for supportin said bar from the frame of a vehicle, a p urality of arms extendin upwardly and rearwardly from the rear ace of the rigid member said arms being arranged in palrs, and cushioning springs connecting each pair of arms and each comprising a. length of spring ma# terial formed at its ends with'loops, the ends of said loops being secured to the arms of` the respective pairs and maintaining the 10 cushionm elements forwardly of and in spaced re ation to said arms.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aix my signature.

AMBROSE J. FINNEGAN. 

